Automatic electrical circuit controller



March 1s 1924. 1,487,152

' E. L.. EDWARDS l f AUTOMATIC ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTROLLER- Fled April 15 :1920

Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES l 1,481,152 PATENT OFFICE;

EDWIN L. EDWARDS, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO EDWARDS X-RAY CORPORATION, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTROL-LER.

Application filed April 15,

T0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, EDWIN L. EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Automatic Electrical Circuit Controller, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures Vof kreference marked thereon.

`This invention relates to the automatic control of electrical currents, more particularly to the control of an electrical current t0 transformers, and the invention relates especially to the automatic switching of an electrical current through a resistance to a transformer and subsequently conducting the electrical current directly tothe transformer.

An object of the invention is to eliminate faulty electrical connections and consequent trouble arisin from unreliable or inefficient manual manipulation or operation of switching or controlling appliances, more particularly in the operation of X-ray apparatus.

Another object is to enable operators of X-ray apparatus to reliably obtain the maximum efliciency in the operation of the apparatus, and without liability to derangement or injury to the apparatus resulting from inaccurate or faulty manual manipulation of controlling devices.

A' further object is to provide an autor matic electrical circuit controller to control an alternating electrical current to the'greatest advantage through a transformer and an X-ray tube, the alternating electricaljcurrent being graphically a more or less perfect sine wave,the voltagelrising from zero at the start to maximumv as the peak of each half-cyclev is reached; and consequently,

when alternating current'is turned directly l into atransforrner, especially high voltage r transformers of some types, suoli aspthose 1920. Serial No. 374,191.

which may result, is to be prevented by the present invention from passing into the transformer; an aim being to provide a system including a resistance and means to automatically, when a controlling switch is closed, to conduct an electrical current first through the resistance momentarily to a transformer and subsequently to conduct the current directly to ythe transformer, and Without requiring the objectionable method of manually manipulating any controllingr device after closing the switch, an objection tosuch manual control being that the operator may neglect to properly operate such device and'consequently the transformer may not get the full required voltage with the result that its power may be proportionately reduced, another result-being that the resistance which may be used may be burned out with consequent loss of time, trouble and expense.

With the above-mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in a system and means for momentarily reducing the voltage of an electrica-l current in its passage to a transformer and means to automatically act tojcontrol the electrical current; and, the invent-ion consists also further in the novel features and in the parts and combinations and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter particularly described and further defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings,-Figure l is an elevation of the preferred circuit controller and diagram of an electrical system, the controller being represented as inactive; Fig. Qis a curtailed view similar to the precedingfigure but showingthe controller as in its first stage of action; Fig. 3 is a view similar to the preceding figurev but with the controller represented as in its final stage of activity.

' In the 'various figures of the drawings similar reference characters indicate corre-- spouding elements or features of construction herein referred to in detail.

In order to clearly illustrate the invention, its mode of operation and one of the useful and advantageous applications thereof, so much of an X-ray apparatus as may be associated with the invention is shown in the drawings and comprises anl X-ray tube 8 and a transformer 12, a high tension circuit 13 leading from the transformer to the X-ray tube.

Preferably the electrical circuit controller structure is produced as a unit on a suitable base, a solenoid 18 is suitabl)v arranged and its arinature lf) has an insulating end 2O as preferablyv constructed, the armature preterablY being cylindrical and vertically arranged; and below the solenoid a stop bracket 2l is suitably supported and il' not insulated is provided on its top with an insulation arranged opposite to the insulatingl end oit the solenoid armature. A suitable electrical resistance clerice is prorided and preferably has a core E23 Yerticallyiarranged at a distance :troni the= stop lnacket, an electrical resistance coil being properly arranged on the core. )i long elastic electrical switch arm is suitably Supported at one end and extends across the stop bracket but at a distance ther troni, the elasticity ot the arni peinitting it to be forced down by the solenoid armature to the stop bracket. fr basev QG is suitably supported and has an elastic electrical switch linger 27 thereon that extends opposite to the erin 95 so that electrical connection niaiY be niad i between the linger and the arni, `the arin and the linger preferably haring contact points QS and 29 respectively, whic i not in contact when the arin is resiugonl the stop bracket, but are in contact whenthe arin mores a suitable distance an'aj-ftrointhe bracket. An electrically conducting plate 30 is suitablv supported in proximity to the stop bracket and it has a lateral pr ject-ion 3l thereon which is provided with a contact point 82 which preterabl)v is adjustable in the projection and is engaged by the switch arni 25, or a contact point 33 on the arni when the solenoid armature releases 'the switch arin, the latter being tree to :nove at a short distance troni the conducting connector plate SO. i circuit wire I3 is connected with the contact point 32 and with one end of the priinaryv coil of the transformer. A feed circuit wire SG connected with a suitable generator or source ot electrical energy and is connected also with the switch arin Q5. )t circuit wire 3S is connected with one end oi the resistance coil 2li and also with the base QG ot the switch linger QT. A circuit wire 39 connected with the opposite end ot the resistance coil and also with the connector plate. A branch wire 4:0 is connected with the eefl wire 35 and also with one end ol' the winding ot the solenoid 1S, another wire il beingsuitablyv coni, cn4 with the solenoid winding and with one side ot n suitable switch A'lf2 symbolic-a.lljY illustrated in the drawings, in practice the switch being usually outside of the cabinet, ot the apparatus. A return wire il is connected with the opposite end ot the primary vcoil 35 of the transformer and is connected with the opposite side el3 the switch and also with the source of current suppl;Y byineans el' a branch l5. The feed wire 36 and the return wire branch l5 in practice are arranged in a cable so as to entend outside of the cabinet; of the apparatus.

.in practical use, the circuit switch l2 being` open, as shown in Fig. l, the solenoid armature is lowfred and rc. upon the switch arin 25 which is supported on the stop lia-'racket 2l, the arm being separated i'roni the sv-ritch .linger 2T and also A,trorn the contact point 32. Upon closing the circuit switch 42, as in Fig. 2, the current energizes the solenoid to cause the armature to be `drawn in, permitting the switch arm 25 to spring up slightly until contact is made with the linger 2T, when thc current passes i'roin the arin to and through the linger 27, through the wire 3S and thence through the resistance coil 24, following the wire 39 and through the contact plate 30, and thence through the wire 3l to the primary coil ot the transformer, momentarily reducing the voltage ot the current while the solenoid ariuature rises'lurther and permits the arm 2.5, without breaking connection with the linger QT, to travel lurthcr and make connection with the contact point 3Q; and thus the electrical current instead ot continuing to pass through the resistance coil yfollows the line of least resistance through the switch arm 25, andthe Contact point 32 to he transformer through the Wire 34.

llaring thus described the invention, what is clainied as new isl. An automa-tic electrical circuit controller including a resistance coil, an elastic supported switch finger in connection with the resistance coil, a supported connector haring a contact-point, a circuit connecting the resistance coil witlrthe connector, a circuit in connection with the contact-point, a supported switch arin to be elastically pressed to the switch finger and farther to the contact-point, a iced-wire leading to the switch arni, and a solenoid having anfarinature arranged to control the switch arm.

Q. ln an automatic electrical circuit controller. the combination of a vertical resist ance core, an electrical resistance coil on the. core, an elastic switch finger supported above the resistance core and electrically connected with one end of the resistance coil, an` elastic switch arin supliiorted by the rc- :l ance core and extending under the switch linger, said :irin being elastically pressed to said linger and extending beyond the linger, a supported stop below the switch arm, a itced-wire connected with the supported portion ot the switch arm, a connector plate supported adjacent to the unsupported end el' the switch arni and having a contact point to be engaged by the switch arm when the arm is in Contact with said finger, acircuit wire connected withtlie:opposite-.end ol the resistance coil and With'the connector lil() plate, a feedwire connected with said contact point, and a solenoid supported above said stop and said switch arm and havin an armature vertically movable to hold Sai switch arm to Said stop and away from said contact point and said switch finger.

3. In an automatic electrical circuit controller, the combination with two supported contact devices, of a resistance coil constantly connected in circuit with the contact devices, a circuit wire connected with one of the contact devices and thereby with the resistance coil, a feed wire to be connected with the remaining one of the Contact devices, a switch element Inovably supported and adapted to electrically connect the feed-wire with the two contact devices suc cessively, and an electro-magnet connected with the feed-wire and having an armature arranged to control the switch element.

In testimony whereof, I afix my Signaturein presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN L. EDWARDS. Witnesses:

E. T. SILvIUs, F. M. ROEDER. 

